The country's revolution has radicalised millions of Egyptians and energised the nation's political left.
Mona Dohle
Al-Jazeera
"Red flags were waving eagerly as thousands of Egyptians celebrated Labour Day at Tahrir Square. Workers from factories across Egypt, the newly founded Federation of Independent Labour Unions, as well several leftist parties rallied to celebrate their new freedoms.
Ahmed El-Borai, Egypt's minister of manpower and immigration, announced last month that Egyptian workers will have the right to establish independent labour unions. This marks an unprecedented level of organisational freedom in Egypt's long history of labour struggle. However, despite the first Labour Day celebration after the resignation of Mubarak, many challenges for workers remain.
While demonstrators shouted enthusiastically, many bystanders felt confronted with an unfamiliar idea. "What is this communism, is it a religion?" asked an older man sceptically. However, after he learned about the demands of the protest, he appeared to embrace them zealously.....
Among the parties present at the rally were the Workers Democratic Party, the Socialist Popular Alliance, the Egyptian Socialist Party, the Communist Party and the Revolutionary Socialists. One of the key issues of debate concerns the role of the state within economic development. Whereas the Workers Democratic Party pledges for the re-nationalisation of large parts of the formerly privatised industry, others are demanding a limited role of the private sector in autonomous development.
However, beyond those abstract debates, many workers are, above all, interested in an immediate improvement of their living conditions....
"Neither the government nor the political parties, the revolution is from the people" is one of the chants that were shouted yesterday.....
Salma Said, an activist involved in the Mayday mobilisation, concluded: "I think this is a good lesson for politicians to be closer to the streets. When we are talking about workers we need to look like workers, we have to be workers.""
Mona Dohle
Al-Jazeera
"Red flags were waving eagerly as thousands of Egyptians celebrated Labour Day at Tahrir Square. Workers from factories across Egypt, the newly founded Federation of Independent Labour Unions, as well several leftist parties rallied to celebrate their new freedoms.
Ahmed El-Borai, Egypt's minister of manpower and immigration, announced last month that Egyptian workers will have the right to establish independent labour unions. This marks an unprecedented level of organisational freedom in Egypt's long history of labour struggle. However, despite the first Labour Day celebration after the resignation of Mubarak, many challenges for workers remain.
While demonstrators shouted enthusiastically, many bystanders felt confronted with an unfamiliar idea. "What is this communism, is it a religion?" asked an older man sceptically. However, after he learned about the demands of the protest, he appeared to embrace them zealously.....
Among the parties present at the rally were the Workers Democratic Party, the Socialist Popular Alliance, the Egyptian Socialist Party, the Communist Party and the Revolutionary Socialists. One of the key issues of debate concerns the role of the state within economic development. Whereas the Workers Democratic Party pledges for the re-nationalisation of large parts of the formerly privatised industry, others are demanding a limited role of the private sector in autonomous development.
However, beyond those abstract debates, many workers are, above all, interested in an immediate improvement of their living conditions....
"Neither the government nor the political parties, the revolution is from the people" is one of the chants that were shouted yesterday.....
Salma Said, an activist involved in the Mayday mobilisation, concluded: "I think this is a good lesson for politicians to be closer to the streets. When we are talking about workers we need to look like workers, we have to be workers.""
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